Drill hole size vs. peg size?

[Karman]

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking of buying some pre-drilled loose pearls to set on earrings myself, but I'm having difficulty deciding what size drill hole I need.

I'm worried that with some settings will have thicker pegs, so if I get 0.8 mm, they won't fit on some of the settings. I asked about one setting and she said the size is approx. 0.8-0.9mm, so what if I get a 0.8mm hole and it doesn't fit the 0.9mm peg? But what if I get the pearl drilled at 0.9 mm but now it's slightly too big for the 0.8 mm peg?

I guess my question is: should I get a 0.8mm hole for a 0.8 mm peg, or would a, say, 1.0 mm hole still fit OK on a 0.8mm peg without risk of getting loose?

Thanks!

 

[Pareltje]

Usually I buy a peg that's smaller than the drill hole. In my experience, pegs that are 1mm smaller than the hole are ideal. Once I bought pearls with 0.9mm drill holes and set them with 0.7mm pegs on dangle earrings. With some very strong glue it worked nicely. I used E6000. The pearl cups also help hold the pearls in place and give extra support.
You also need to know the depth of the drill holes. If the holes are deep enough and accommodate the pegs, that's great. Sometimes i have to cut the pegs so that they can fit in the holes. Of course I don't have a pearl drill.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Just keep in mind that the pearl hole needs to be larger than the peg size, otherwise it won't fit. I think it's probably best to get your findings first, measure the pegs and then have the pearls drilled slightly larger. You might also be able to use a bead reamer to widen the drill holes (I have never used one, so maybe others can comment).

 

[Pareltje]

Just keep in mind that the pearl hole needs to be larger than the peg size, otherwise it won't fit. I think it's probably best to get your findings first, measure the pegs and then have the pearls drilled slightly larger. You might also be able to use a bead reamer to widen the drill holes (I have never used one, so maybe others can comment).

Sometimes I use a bead reamer and it helps too. But be careful when using it because if the tip of the reamer breaks in the hole, it's not a fun thing to do to get it out. I once did it.

 

[Karman]

Thank you both for your tips! Glad to hear I can just get a hole that's drilled slightly larger. I think I will do that.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Another thing to consider: there is no real consistency of size for pearl pegs. In other words, each finding can have a different pearl peg size. Sometimes their sizes are listed, but most often they are not.

 

[Katbran]

JP makes an excellent point. The pegs are different sizes. Often in proportion to the size of the finding ...but not always. A little battery powered drill with small bits is very handy. Like a Dremel. You can use any drill but most are a bit large to handle easily.

 

[Karman]

I'll definitely confirm peg size before getting the pearls drilled. I just wanted to know if having a hole 0.1-0.2mm larger than the peg would still work, since I've been getting peg measurement in ranges!